Page 21 - Sincerity Described in the Qur'an

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What is a Righteous Person Like?

any of them. We are Muslims submitted to Him." (Surat
al-Baqara: 136)

True sincerity entails submission with complete
surrender to Allah. However, this submission should be
unconditional. One who consents to Allah’s will, but is only
thankful and submissive to Allah under certain
circumstances, could not be regarded as in submission if he
becomes rebellious and disobedient under a different set of
circumstances. For instance, one who is engaged in good
business relations, and earns a sufficient amount of money,
could frequently utter that it is Allah Who permitted his
circumstances, wealth and good fortune. However, when
things take a turn for the worse, he suddenly becomes
forgetful of his earlier submissiveness towards Allah. His
character changes suddenly, and he begins to grumble
continually that he is a good man, that he did not deserve
what befell him, and that he could not for the life of him
understand why things are not going well. He may even go
beyond the bounds of what is acceptable and start to blame
Allah by forgetting that Fate always works according to the
best and most favorable manner. He may ask himself
irreverant questions like "Why have things worked out this

way?" "Why did these things happen to me?"
However, trusting in Allah, regardless of the good or bad
that has happened to us, or the favorable or unfavorable
appearances of events, is in fact that most valued in Allah’s
presence. Despite the outer appearances, one should be
submissive by knowing that each and everything was
created with goodness and wisdom:
"If you have received a wound, they have already